Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has explained his reasoning behind choosing not to start a recognised striker at Stoke City.
The Black Cats suffered a 2-1 defeat at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Ryan Mmaee gave the hosts the lead in the seventh minute, before Jack Clarke equalised three minutes later.
Luke McNally gave the Potters the all important winning goal in the 47th minute, which gave former Sunderland manager Alex Neil’s side all three points.
Mowbray explains reasoning behind not playing a recognised striker
Many fans questioned Mowbray’s decision not to start a recognised striker with Mason Burstow and Nazariy Rusyn both available, both coming on just after the hour mark.
But Mowbray explained his reasoning was down to both strikers only just coming back from international duty a few days before.
“That was the reason,” Mowbray told the Newcastle Chronicle. “Mason didn’t come back until training on Friday, Rusyn has been away with Ukraine and didn’t come back until Friday.
“We’d had [Patrick] Roberts and [Alex] Pritchard with us all week so we tried to put a team together without [a number nine]. We had huge success with it last year when we had no strikers.
“This year we have got some strikers but they are young boys who need to be integrated into the team, and two of them – Rusyn and Burstow – had been away on international duty. We just felt let’s go to Stoke and play the way we know we can and see if we can score.
“It’s difficult when Burstow has been away and played two games, a different coach, different ideas, a different way of playing, and then he comes back in, has one day’s training, and then we expect him to go straight back into the team.
“Why wouldn’t we just pick a team where we had had three or four days’ training together?”
Manager’s reasoning makes sense
Whilst it may have been seen as a bizarre decision at first, Tony Mowbray’s explanation makes sense.
Now that Burstow and Rusyn would have had a few days and sessions back with the team, it would not be a surprise if one of or both of them would be back starting in their next match.
Sunderland have a double game week coming up this week, facing Leicester City away from home on Tuesday night.
They then face Norwich City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.